Peshawar: Second round of polio campaign kicked off

PESHAWAR: Keeping in view the polio virus epidemiology in central Khyber Pakhtunkhwa especially in Peshawar the Provincial Health Department Thursday started another Short Interval Additional Doses (SIADs) in 12 high risk union councils of Peshawar including three Afghan refugee camps.

Sources in the Health Department informed this scribe that health department in collaboration with partner organizations is focusing on some of the security compromised union councils of Peshawar and carrying out additional campaigns in these areas to eradicate polio.

Giving breakdown of the 12 union councils, he said that SIAD is conducted in Sikandar Town, Gul Bahar, Shaheen Muslim Town 1 and II, Yakatoot 1,II, III, Kakshal 2, Akhoonabad, Haryana Payan, Larama and Sufaid Dheri.

He further informed that total targeted population for the second round of SIAD is 101295 for which a total of 251 teams have been formed.

When asked about repeated campaigns in Peshawar, official of the health department informed that environmental samples collected from sewage in Peshawar is positive which means that unvaccinated children are at a risk of being hit by the crippling disease.

Repeated campaigns would help us protect our children and eradicate polio from the region, he said, adding that there was no harm in taking extra doses of vaccine as it was safe and has no harmful effects on health. (APP)